I was quite intrigued when Microsoft announced that it was releasing a public beta test of Windows 7 - I've decided to take the plunge. My computer is due for a reformat and reinstall; so instead of putting XP on it, why not try out Windows 7? It's going to be my project for my days off: see how well it works and see how well it stacks up so far. I'll be taking many notes, of course

First thing you notice is that it's basically Vista, just streamlined. But in so many great ways. It's way faster of course. And they've redone the wizards to make them so much better. Really letting you know your options and taking you through them. Jump list is a feature I'll use a lot, and the new IE has some neat changes too. HomeGroups is something I've read about but haven't tried yet. Hope it works like it's supposed to.

Was very, very impressed with the power saving features. It comes out of hibernation pretty much instantly which is such a huge difference.

Originally posted by WhitebaconWhat are the specs needed to run this? I'm thinking of putting it on my old box.

Originally posted by PCworld.comThey call for a 1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit), 1GB of main memory, 16GB of available disk space, support for DX9 graphics with 128MB of memory (for the Aero interface), and a DVD-R/W drive.

About the same as Vista, but that's impressive when you consider the fact that Vista came out like 3 years ago and in that much time the average computer has gotten much more powerful.

Originally posted by WhitebaconWhat are the specs needed to run this? I'm thinking of putting it on my old box.

Originally posted by PCworld.comThey call for a 1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit), 1GB of main memory, 16GB of available disk space, support for DX9 graphics with 128MB of memory (for the Aero interface), and a DVD-R/W drive.

About the same as Vista, but that's impressive when you consider the fact that Vista came out like 3 years ago and in that much time the average computer has gotten much more powerful.

- StingArmy

I've downloaded the ISO...but I'm confused as to whether the Beta requires a formatted HD or whether it's okay where it is. I ready somewhere it requires VMWare or something to that effect.

Uh, not sure what you mean. You have to burn the ISO file to a blank DVD, then do an install on a clean hard drive. The beta won't allow you to upgrade. You could use VMware I suppose but that's if you have it already. I just did a clean install.

This is off-topic in the sense that I don't have any intention of playing around with Windows 7 Beta, but if you're considering running it in a virtual environment (which is an excellent way to put it through its paces without any risk at all to your existing OS install), consider Sun's VirtualBox (download here). It's free, it's fast, and I find it a whole lot more user-friendly than VMWare Server. You'll even save yourself a blank DVD, as it will let you mount the ISO image for the installation.

FYI for those not only wanting to try this but also maybe wanting to try IE8...don't. IE8 does have neat features, but it's really buggy. Lots of simple websites not showing up right, slow loading and crashes.

I've been running the Win 7 beta since build 6954 and the thing is pretty sweet. Install time cut down to 25-35 min, Aero look and feel without Vista slowness. The drag and re-size stuff, new taskbar, and shake to minimize all other windows feaures are very nice. At work we're running this on an old Fujitsu Lifebook (1gb RAM) and the thing is performing just fine.

Originally posted by wmatisticFYI for those not only wanting to try this but also maybe wanting to try IE8...don't. IE8 does have neat features, but it's really buggy. Lots of simple websites not showing up right, slow loading and crashes.

I agree. IE8 is still buggy (crashes and crash recovery specifically). In terms of viewing websites correctly though, if turn on Compatability View for *all websites* you should be okay.